| The RollGard looks disarmingly simple, but it's a sophisticated suspension upgrade. Installed on each side of a leaf-spring rearend, it consists of a mono-leaf with two pairs of shackles and a rubber spacer block. Although the wheels don't need to be removed for installation, the axle and suspension do need to be unloaded on a lift or with jackstands under the frame.
Controlling body roll in a diesel truck can be a challenge, especially if the suspension has been modified. Whether your pickup is lifted or lowered, either of these changes can affect the way it handles, often for the worse. With a lift, since the center of gravity is relocated several inches higher, the result is more body lean when cornering. And when rear leaf springs are de-arched to lower the suspension, they provide less resistance to roll, so the net effect can be the same (even though the center of gravity is lower).
We've come across a quick fix for body-roll problems, whether your diesel truck has a stock suspension or an aftermarket setup, as noted above. This system, called RollGard, is also a real asset when towing with a diesel pickup because it manages tongue weight, reduces bouncing motion, and minimizes lean and sway for more stable handling. The same unit can be installed on the leaf springs of a trailer, as well, in order to improve control.
Although the RollGard looks a bit like a mono-leaf helper spring (mounted with shackles to the stock leaf springs, either above or below the rear axle), that's not its primary function. While it does provide an increased spring rate, the key aspect of the RollGard's technology is to control unwanted suspension movement, both sideways and front to rear. It does so by controlling suspension rebound travel, using the vehicle's unsprung weight as a counterweight to minimize the initial rolling action as a vehicle corners. In simpler terms, it opposes the spring action of the stock suspension, pulling the chassis downward to its normal ride height position.
We've installed the RollGard on two different pickups (a lowered half-ton and a diesel one-ton Ram) and found it goes on surprisingly easy and quickly (less than an hour) and provides an immediate and dramatic improvement in handling. Cornering is flatter and crisper, and the load-carrying ability is improved, as well. Related benefits of the RollGard include improved braking ability (by minimizing forward pitch or nose-diving) and a reduction in axlewrap.
Invented by Peter Bryant (the engineer who designed the Shelby Series 1 sports car, the Collins Motorsports Trophy Truck for the Baja 1,000, and many other noteworthy vehicle projects), the RollGard is manufactured in Las Vegas, Nevada, by Amtech Corporation. In developing the product, Bryant did extensive research and testing on more than 250 trucks and SUVs, so the company has applications for just about any make and model with a leaf-spring rear end. A new version for a coil-spring rearend is also in the works. So whatever type of suspension you have, if it feels like your rig always wants to rock 'n roll, here's a simple way to tone things down.
"It goes on in less than an hour and provides an immediate and dramatic improvement in handling."
